Bai Luo and Igor didn't stay outside for long—after all, there was still a banquet going on inside Sangonomiya.
If they lingered too long, it might arouse suspicion.
Fortunately, everyone knew Igor was a die-hard fan of Battousai, and with Old Li covering for them, they managed to muddle through.
After returning to his seat, Beidou merely glanced at Bai Luo but didn't say anything.
Meanwhile, Kazuha, sitting beside Bai Luo, seized the opportunity to strike up another conversation with him.
And the person they ended up discussing was someone notably absent from the banquet—
Gorou.
"Gorou is quite a remarkable person. Despite being a general of Watatsumi, he doesn't put on airs at all—everyone adores him."
Since returning to Inazuma, Kazuha had become increasingly talkative.
On their way to Sangonomiya, whenever he spotted something of interest, he'd immediately explain it to Bai Luo.
"It's a shame the frontlines are too tense for Gorou to stay in the rear for long. Otherwise, I'd definitely introduce him to you, Mr. Himura. I'm sure you'd never regret befriending him."
"Yeah, really looking forward to it."
Though he said he was looking forward to Gorou, what he actually meant was "Miss Hina."
Even if that cunning fox hadn't successfully "developed" Gorou yet, since Bai Luo already knew about this little puppy's... special traits, he might as well—
Ahem. Best not be a scumbag.
"Lord Battousai, this is a special Liyue dish—Cool-Mixed Qingxin. It's quite rare in Inazuma. If you don't mind, please give it a try."
While Bai Luo and Kazuha were chatting, a new round of dishes was served.
Perhaps out of consideration for Bai Luo, the shrine maiden of Sangonomiya deliberately placed the most precious dish right in front of him.
Bai Luo: "..."
Alright, the shrine maiden wasn't lying—in Inazuma City, Qingxin was an extremely rare ingredient, practically priceless.
But... did she forget where I came from? Liyue!
Do they lack this stuff there?!
Back when I was herb-gathering with Qiqi, we ate these as snacks!
Even a Sunsettia would've been better than this!
"And this plate of Sunsettias—we heard you love them, so Lady Sangonomiya specifically asked us to prepare them."
"..."
Judging by the shrine maiden's tone, she served this with genuine respect.
But... were these Sunsettias even edible?
Chopsticks in hand, Bai Luo stared at the Sunsettias and other dishes on the table, not daring to take a bite.
Because there was one thing he wasn't sure about—
If the table was considered the "carrier" of the Sunsettias, would touching it make them taste weird too?
That was the question.
After hesitating for a long time, Bai Luo turned to Kazuha beside him.
"Hey, Kazuha—want some Sunsettias? All you can eat."
Kazuha had been smiling, but the moment Bai Luo spoke, his expression changed.
In one swift motion, he and his table scooted half a meter away, ending up sharing a table with the navigator girl, Huixing, who blushed furiously.
"Uh... Captain Beidou?"
Bai Luo glanced subtly to his left at Beidou and tentatively called out.
Beidou, who had been drinking, seemed to recall something and suddenly downed the entire bottle in one go.
Then, with a tipsy hiccup, she slumped onto the table—as if just one step away from putting up a sign that read [I'M DRUNK].
But the sake served at Sangonomiya was a low-alcohol, sweet variety meant for women.
For someone with Beidou's tolerance, even a whole vat of this stuff wouldn't get her drunk—it'd just make her feel full.
"Really?"
Muttering under his breath, Bai Luo turned to the shrine maiden who had served the dishes and was now standing behind him.
Unlike the other shrine maidens with traditional Inazuman hair colors, this one had a unique light-green hue.
Paired with her blue shrine maiden attire, it gave her a distinctive charm.
But the most important thing was... her voice sounded familiar, as if he'd heard it somewhere before.
Her face, though... was completely unfamiliar. Bai Luo was certain he'd never seen her before.
But if he lowered his gaze just a bit—
Hiss—
Unlike the loose-fitting robes of ordinary shrine maidens, this girl's outfit was a bit too snug.
The rest was manageable, but the chest area was tight—those Hydro Slimes straining against the fabric made Bai Luo's scalp tingle, giving the illusion that one could suffocate in them.
Most importantly... those Hydro Slimes looked familiar.
Honestly speaking, the last time he'd seen Slimes of this size was... well, the last time.
Subtly averting his gaze, Bai Luo quietly moved his hand beneath the table.
First, he pressed it against the soft cushion of his seat, then downward until he felt the hard floor.
Hmm... That'd be Hu Tao's.
A bit more restrained—probably Katarina's.
A gentle swell—the Anemo Archon statue's "Ehe" weirdo?
A full, firm curve—Bai Luo's eyes drifted toward Beidou beside him.
About the same size.
Then, he lifted his hand and gestured as if grasping something in midair.
Holy shit—isn't this that one—?!
Withdrawing his hand, Bai Luo's focus locked onto the shrine maiden behind him.
No mistake. Though he'd only eyeballed it, based on that size, she had to be the person he was thinking of!
"Miss Shrine Maiden, want something sweet?"
Casually picking up a Sunsettia, Bai Luo offered it to her.
At the moment, the Sunsettias were the only suitable gift on his table.
"Lord Battousai, these were specially prepared for you by Lady Sangonomiya. We're not permitted to partake."
The shrine maiden maintained a warm smile.
"Oh? What a shame. Then, might I ask your name, Miss Shrine Maiden? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
Slipping the Sunsettia into his pocket, Bai Luo pressed further.
Honestly, his behavior did seem like flirting—and both the shrine maiden behind him and the "drunk" Beidou seemed to think so.
But the shrine maiden remained polite. "I'm just an ordinary shrine maiden. My name isn't worth mentioning."
For her, this was a good chance to get closer to Battousai, but she'd only just established herself in Sangonomiya. Acting rashly might draw the Divine Priestess's attention.
So she reluctantly had to pass up the opportunity.
"Ah, so your name is Not Worth Mentioning? Quite unique."
"..."
The shrine maiden's smile stiffened, her expression turning uneasy.
Though Bai Luo had said "not worth mentioning," his lips silently formed another name—
Her real name.
"Miss Not Worth Mentioning, could I trouble you to deliver this Qingxin to Lady Sangonomiya? I've eaten plenty of these back in Liyue."
"O-Of course."
Struggling to stay composed, the shrine maiden bent down to pick up the Qingxin.
And as she did, a faint, familiar scent of Mist Grass wafted into Bai Luo's nose.
"Come to my room tonight. You wouldn't want anyone finding out your real identity, would you?"
While the dish blocked everyone's line of sight, Bai Luo whispered words only she could hear.